Nut-lock.



No. 688,308. Patented Dec. I0, 190|. J. E; HUNSAKER.

NUT LOCK'.

ledSe 2 sheets-shut 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. HUNSAKER, OF VIENNA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OFfONE-HALF TO DANIEL M. MCCALL, OF VIENNA, ILLINOIS.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 688,308, dated December 10, 1901.

Application iiled September 6, 1901. Serial No. 74,562. (No model.) i

To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. HUNSAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vienna, in the county of Johnson and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Nut- Lock,of which the following is 'a speciication.

My invention relates to 'certain improvements in nut-locks; and it has for its princi# pal object to construct a device of this character which will firmly hold a nut in adjusted position and which may readily be removed from contact with the nut when the latter is to be removed or tightened.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in connection with the nut-lock holder, means for compensating for the alterations in the length of the bolt due to expansion and A contraction.

" appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspectwe view of a nut-locking device vconstructed and arranged in accordance with my invention and illustrating its application to the securing-bolts of a rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevationof the same, showing the nut-engaging keeper moved from operative position. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the application of a plurality of keepers to a single supporting means. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of a preferred form of bail and illustrating also the spring for compensating for expansion and contraction of the bolt. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modiiied form of supporting-bail. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of a modified construction of keeper. Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a locking device .of modified construction. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 9 is a detached perspective View of the keeper.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.l

1 designates a threaded bolt to which is applied a nut 2 of ordinary construction, these being shown in the present instance in connection with the Iish-plates of a rail-joint, although it will be understood that the device is not limited in its application to work of this class. -f

.4 represents a spring-wire bail, the ends of which are bent to form one or more coils 5, arranged in the form of a helical compressionspring and placed on a bolt between the inner face of the nut and the adjacent face of the fish-plate. The nut 2, being locked in the manner hereinafter described, need not be screwed up so tightly as is necessarydn ordinary cases, the spring acting to keep the parts inproper relative position and at the same time permitting the contraction of the bolt when exposed to low temperature or its expansion when exposed to a high temperature without danger of breaking the bolt or lessening its holding effect.

In some cases, particularly on railway-lines exposed to any considerable range of temperature, nuts and bolts applied during the summer season and screwed tightly in place will often be broken by the contraction due to exposure to the lower temperature of the winter months, and in similar manner those applied during cold weather will become loose during Vwarm weather. The employment of the compensating spring 5 remedies this effect in that it will permit contraction to an y possible extent without subjecting the bolt to a breaking strain, and when the bolt is expandedl the spring will still act to preserve close and binding contact between the parts which the bolt unites.

The main or body portion of the bail i is substantially rectangular in form, and on its outer portion, parallel with the fish-plate, is pivoted a keeper 6, conforming. in general contour to the part to which it is to be attached and having at its upper end a slot 7, adapted to engage with the opposite vertical sides of the nut 2. The pivotal point of the keeper 6 is within and above the extreme outer portion of the keeper, at which pointa comparatively sharp bearing edge or shoulder 8 is formed for Contact with the lower ilange of the fish-plate. 'The shoulder 8 forms the fulcrum-point for the keeper 6,the springbail being attached thereto at a point within the shoulder and, exerting downward pressure on the keeper, will normally hold the upper portion of said keeper in contact with the fish-plate, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The

lextreme outer end of the keeper is flattened,

as at 9, so that said keeper maybe pulled out to the position 'shown in Fig. 2 when it is desired to remove the nut or to tighten the same, the keeper when moved back past the fulcrum-point again coming under the influence of the spring and being forced to the locking position.

In some instances--as in fish-plates where six bolts or four bolts are employed-the wire bail may be attached to lthe outer bolts only and a sufficient number of keepers be pivoted upon the single bail in the manner shown in Fig. 3.

Vhere the compensating spriugis not necessary or desirable, a simple form of bail, such as shown at 4 in Fig. 5, may be employed.

In the application of the device to dat surfaces the keeper G' is made in the manner illustrated in Fig. G, the wire bail passing through an opening in the same and acting to keep its upper slotted end in engagement with the bolt.

It will be understood, of course, that the keeper need not neoessarilybe slotted, asimple opening conforming to the contour of the nut being in some cases desirable.

It will be understood that various modifications in the form, proportions, and size of the device herein described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the modified structure illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 the keeper 16 is formed of sheet metal, shaped by suitable guides and having ears 17 for engagement with the vertical sides of the nut. At the lower end of the keeper are struck up ears 18, perforated for the passage of the holding-bail 4. The structure presents some advantages over that shown in the remaining figures of the drawings in that it is much lighter and can be readily formed by dies from sheet metal of any thickness.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim ission-spring, and a slotted keeper carried by said bail and movable thereon into or out of contact with said nut, substantially as described.

3. Anut-lock comprising aspring-bail bent to form acompression-spring and situated between the inner face of the nut and the adjacent face of a boltedsection, a keeper pivoted on the outer portion of the said bail and having a nut-engaging slot, said keeper having at its outer end a fulcrum-shoulder and being provided with a fiat outer end to permit its locking in inoperative position,lsubstantial'ly as specified.

4. In a nut-lock, a keeper having a slot or recess for engagement with a nut, said keeper having at its outer end a fulcrum-shoulder and being provided with a dat outer face, a spring-bail pivotally connected to said keeper at a point near said fulcrum -shoulder and adapted to lock said keeper in operative or in inoperative position, substantially as specitied.

5. In a nut-lock, a spring-wire bail having its opposite ends secured to the outer of a series of bolts, the nuts of which are to be locked, and a plurality of keepers pivoted to said bail and adapted to engage with and lock the intervening nuts, each of said keepers having at its outer end a fulcrum-shoulder to permit its being locked by the bail in operative or inoperative positions, substantially as specitied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN E. HUNSAKER.

Witnesses:

C. E. HoYLE, FRANK S. APPLEMAN. 

